7.13.2006

airleaf publishing -- a new way to bilk vanity-published authors out of even more money

for goods and services worth approximately 1000., you pay 8000. in promitional fees to

have your work on a bunch of websites run by the promoter (not even reviewing websites!)

have your work on the radio (wanna be interviewed on podcast? just make the queries!)

attend a "conference" put on by the promoter for its "authors" in Vegas (I'm saying this is worth about 400.)

copies in ten bookstores (this is worth about $150. in my view, if you aren't purchasing the books yourself and consigning them, but you probably are!!!)

a telemarketer! to call bookstores and set up readings (certainly worth something - but what? and of course, then you've got to do the tour...)

pitch it by phone to 10! Hollywood producers (not perhaps realizing that I'm on the board of a small Hollywood corporation, which the slobs on the other end of the "book of poetry phone pitch" could only be -- hey, maybe we'll start getting lots of phone calls -- "just imagine the miniseries this crown of sonnets could be!" or "it is like a new Canterbury Tales!" or it is Kevin Young's book? gahhhh)

this is particularly painful for me to consider as the inlaw of a not really a relative who I talked about not vanity publishing her religious memoir inspired by events as her beloved grandfather was dying and marketing it by hand from church group to church group (a la it seems the celestine prophecy early days or something featured on oprah) in favor of pursuing legitimate publication and continuing on in writing school, classes, groups, or paying an editor for feedback -- now the family story is I discouraged her writing -- it is hard, trying to offer solid advice to the determined egotist, aka, teaching...

interesting that this comes because they found LOCKET, and not Da3, which is pod, Secret Kitty or some of the shorter eBooks, or the forthcoming 2D&I, which is also pod, through cafe press no less